Zipper pull attachments use a grip-enhancing device more or less permanently secured to a zipper pull tab for regular use in operating the zipper. Patent examples include those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,794 to Harvey et al. (flexible elongated attachment for a zipper pull tab with the appearance of a miniature necktie); U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,874 to Yamazaki et al. (zipper pull with buckle type connector structure for attaching a fabric pull strap); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,111,714 to Bell, III (slide faster with a chord-type pull handle for hanging towels, shoes, etc., with one end of the handle connected to a zipper pull tab and the other end connected to the zippered article). Non-patent examples include pieces of cord or ribbon knotted through the zipper pull tab's opening; metal rings attached to the zipper pull tab with a spring hook or clip; and ornaments such as cross charms attached to the zipper pull tab with clips, chains, or swivel hooks.
Zipper pulling aids are also known, in which a separate handle with a hook at one end allows the user to reach and pull an otherwise difficult zipper by briefly hooking the opening in the pull tab. Patent examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,222 to Reed (elongated zipper pulling device with a handle end, and a helical or spiral end adapted to be threaded through a zipper pull tab); U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,191 to Detrick et al. (zipper operating device shaped like a key so that it can be kept on a keychain when not in use); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,512 to Cada et al. (zipper pulling device with a jackknife type handle and a hook member that pivots or folds into the handle). Non-patent examples include the “Zip It” zipper pull aid, with a t-shaped handle having a hook in one end adapted to reach and fit through a zipper pull tab opening, and an optional ring attachment that can be clipped to the zipper pull tab to make it easier to hook.
Prior attachment-type pulls are relatively small or weak and provide only moderate assistance with difficult zippers, and are often prone to twisting into odd positions that can make them more difficult to operate. The hook-equipped reach-and-pull devices are too cumbersome to carry, and are relatively awkward to use except when the user has time and privacy.